Illegal conversions: UP ATS raids residence & offices of cleric in Delhi

LUCKNOW: A 12-member team of the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (UP ATS) on Tuesday raided the Delhi residences and offices of cleric Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui and his associate Abdul Rehman who are accused of running an illegal conversion racket.
The searches were conducted at Okhla residence of Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, his offices at Global Peace Centre and World Peace Centre – both in Shaheen Bagh area of Delhi. Searches were also carried out at the residence of Abdul Rehman in Shaheen Bagh.
ADG, law and order, Prashant Kumar said Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui was arrested by UP ATS on September 22 on charges of running an illegal religious conversion syndicate spread across India.
Kumar said donations to a trust operated by Siddiqui were made through hawala transactions.
IG ATS, Gajendra Kumar Goswamy, said electronic gadgets like tablets, laptops and desktops were recovered during the raids. “We will send all the gadgets for forensic examination,” he added.
Goswamy said the cleric had property worth Rs 30 crore and was unable to give any satisfactory reply on the source of his income. “Illegally routed money through Bahrain and from other Gulf country was also found to be in possession of the cleric,” he said.
ATS officials said Siddiqui worked closely with Umar Gautam, the kingpin of illegal conversion racket, and his accomplice, Mufti Kazi Jahangir Qasmi, who were arrested in June.
“Evidence shows under the guise of a social harmony programme, a syndicate of illegal conversions was being operated by the accused persons. They amassed huge property with the money received in donation from foreign countries,” a senior ATS official said. In June, ATS busted the illegal conversion racket with the arrest of Umar Gautam, his accomplice Mufti Kazi Jahangir Qasmi. Later, its Nagpur syndicate was unearthed.